In 1998, "The Jerry Springer Show" had plans to air an episode involving people who participate in bestiality — humans engaging in sexual contact with animals. As well as their Las Vegas appearance at the National Association of Broadcasters convention, former Secretary of Education William Bennett and Senator Joe Lieberman (pictured) wrote a letter to the USA Network, the parent company of the "Springer Show", SBC Life reports. In that letter, the two politicians urged USA Network not to air the installment. USA Networks Inc. owned Studios USA Television Distribution, which produced and distributed the program.
By that point, USA Network had already put a stop to the on-screen violence that had made Springer's show popular for some viewers. In their letter to USA Networks President Barry Diller, Lieberman and Bennett wrote they were outraged to learn that an upcoming Springer episode would feature three guests who regularly engage in sexual relations with animals. "The decision to broadcast this repugnant segment for any adult, adolescent, or toddler to see is reprehensible, and sends a disturbing message to America's families about the lengths that the TV industry will go to make an extra dollar," the letter read (via SBC Life). The bestiality episode never aired.
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